Disparate Worlds
by Kestrel98
Summary: Katrina was always considered different, an outsider. Then, on her eleventh birthday, she is given the information that will change her life, forever. She is thrown head first into a strange world of magic and wonder, but there is a dark side to this magical world, and what does Harry Potter have to do with it?
1. Chapter 1: Flight

**Hello everyone! This is my first story so i hope you like it. I really enjoy writing, and i've read loads on here, so i decided to give my own one a go. I'll try to update as often as i can, but for now, i have only a few short words to share with you, "Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak!" So long!**

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Chapter 1 – Flight

It started out with a trampoline, on a warm summer's day. My older sister Iris had challenged me to a competition on the trampoline to see who could jump the highest. As I had nothing else to do, I agreed. We were having a great time, but she was beating me by miles. I was only seven, and quite short, whereas she was ten and rather tall. It was looking like Iris was winning, and I was thinking about quitting, when I suddenly noticed that my feet were rising up a lot higher than they were before. In a couple of bounces, I was soaring above my sister, and jumping higher than even the netting around the trampoline! It was great for a bit, but after a while I noticed that I was going incredibly high, and my sister was getting increasingly agitated.  
"How are you doing that?" she asked, rather irritated.  
"I don't know!" I squeaked, delighted that I was better than my sister at something.  
I soared higher and higher with every bounce, until my feet took a long time to get back to the surface of the trampoline again. A few minutes later, I was reaching a great height, and all at once, I didn't go back down. I just hung there in the air, frozen with surprise. Iris stopped jumping, and her eyes widened as she saw me. The shock wore off, and I started to struggle at the invisible bonds which held me there.  
"Stop it!" she cried, "You've won, now come down!"  
"Why?" I asked, and immediately stopped struggling, "just 'cause you can't do it….."  
"MUM! MUUUUUUUUUUUM! Come here quick!"  
Our mother came running, and shrieked when she opened the back door and saw me, suspended in mid-air, six feet above the surface of the trampoline, laughing in enjoyment.  
"Oh my lord! How did you get up there?!" she cried.  
"I jumped, mummy!" I boasted happily, oblivious to my mother's distress.  
"You need to get down from there, now!" she commanded firmly. Her eyes were huge with shock, and she kept blinking hard, as if she expected the scene to change.  
I sighed dramatically, then walked through the air, down towards my mother. I stretched my arms out towards her, and grabbed her hands as I touched down lightly on the grass.  
"What's wrong, mummy?" I asked curiously, seeing how my mother's eyes had glazed over, and she was shaking. My voice seemed to rouse her, and she picked me up, held on to me tightly, and carried me into the house, running. She set me down on the couch, then picked up the phone and dialled a number on the phone.  
"Don't move!" she told me, and I obeyed.  
"Jim? It's Kate." She started tearfully, then went on to explain what had just happened to my father.

"Are you sure you're ok, Triny dear?" asked my mother again. I was starting to get annoyed, and so, apparently, was my father.  
"Oh for goodness sake, leave her alone!" he exclaimed, "It's not like she's ill or anything, I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable…"  
"Do not even try to tell me there is a natural explanation for that! We need to take her to see a doctor!"  
My father argued back, saying it was ridiculous, there was nothing wrong with me, and he didn't see any need to scare me even more. Before long, a full blown row had broken out over the dinner table.  
"Daddy, can you pass the ketchup please?" I asked quietly.  
My parents didn't hear me, and I was getting rather infuriated now.

"Can you please pass me the ketchup?" I asked, louder this time. Still, I went unheard.  
I asked once more, louder this time, I was almost yelling. I remained unnoticed.  
"Fine then, I'll get it myself!" I exclaimed loudly. I extended my arm out to reach across the table.

At that moment, two things happened at once. The first one was that when I put my hand out, the ketchup bottle lifted up off the table near my dad's hand, and flew into my outstretched palm. The second thing that happened was that my parents automatically stopped talking and stared at me.  
"See?!" my mother exclaimed, "what do you have to say about that then?!" she asked my dad, who was now sat there impersonating a goldfish.

That night, after a rather subdued end of the meal, I was sat in front of the tv with my sister, who refused to talk to me, while my parents made frantic phone calls to every doctor and psychologist they could think of, trying to get an appointment for them to test me. This was all very surreal, and I didn't have any idea what to do, so I concluded that I must have done something naughty, and that now they wanted a doctor so they could make me not be bad again. This idea distressed me, and I ran into the room where my mother was sat, and burst into tears.  
"I'm sorry, mummy! I won't do it again, I won't!" I cried, "please don't punish me mummy please?"  
She sat me on her lap and dried my tears.  
"You haven't done anything naughty, darling, we're just worried that you might be ill, and we don't want you to be ill, now, do we? We have an appointment for you tomorrow morning, and we'll soon have you feeling better in no time."

That was the first in a long line of incidents that happened concerning me. There was the tv exploding when me and Iris were arguing about what to watch, there was the class hamster I got to look after, who I trained to do backflips, oh, and when I managed to fix my mother's necklace when it snapped.

But then, one day, my eleventh birthday to be exact, my whole life suddenly made sense, and a lot of questions got answered….


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

**Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy, i'll have the next chapter up soon. Thank you all for the great reception i received, please review! Also, if anyone wants to draw a picture for my story, maybe a picture of Katrina, could you do that and send it to me please? Thanks a million! You're all brilliant! xoxo**

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Chapter 2 – Revelations

I took a deep, calming breath as I stared into the mirror, scrutinising my own appearance. I had about twenty minutes until my guests arrived, and I was already ready. My long, wavy, thick brown hair flowed to halfway down my back, and I had adorned it with little white flowers. I was wearing a deep blue party dress. It was made of a silky, soft fabric, and went down to just above my ankles. The sleeves were long, skin-tight, and made of lace, and the dress was belted at the waist. I studied my face in the reflective surface; my quite big, round, almost black brown eyes stared back at me. My skin was creamy coloured, with rosy red cheeks, and the blue colour did seem to complement it rather well. I didn't know what I was so worried about. Oh, yes, I did. I knew these people weren't really my friends, they were the kids of my parents' friends, who I was forced to play with.

Ding-Dong-Ding-Dong! Oh no. They were here already! How had twenty minutes gone so fast?!  
"Katrina! Can you get the door please?" my mother called from her room. She'd been scurrying around like a deranged person for the last two hours, and had only just realised that she, too, had to get ready for the party.

With a huff, I left my room and ran downstairs to answer the door.  
"Happy birthday sweetheart!" said my grandma, pulling me into a tight hug. When she released me, she pressed a wrapped box-shaped present. _Probably books_, I thought cheerfully. I really loved my grandma, and she always knew exactly what books I'd like. I really loved books too. Maybe this party wasn't going to be too bad.

"Well, that was nice, wasn't it? Do you like your presents, love?" asked dad, as we all collapsed onto the couch, three hours later.  
"I had a good time. Thank you for my presents mum and dad, I love my ipod!" I replied, truthfully.

Ding-Dong!

"Who could possibly be calling at this time of night?" mum said confusedly.

"I'll go get it." I said, when it became clear that no-one else had any intention of moving.  
I opened the door, and there, stood before me, was the strangest looking woman I had ever seen.

She was a thin, stern looking woman, who appeared to be in her sixties, with greying black hair scraped back into a severe bun. But what really had me staring was her clothing. She was wearing a black cloak over black robes of some kind, and a pointed witch's hat! Her black sensible heeled shoes were about the only normal thing she was wearing! I stood there, gawping at her like an idiot, when she finally spoke;  
"Are you Katrina Evelyn Lockwood?" she asked, her voice was curt and strict.

"Uuuum…..yes?" I answered uncertainly, how did she know my name?!

"Pleased to meet you Miss Lockwood, may I come in?" she asked, her tone not softening.

"Erm, um, er, Mum?" I called out.  
Finally, my mother decided to make an appearance.

"Who is it dar…?" her voice faded away to nothing as she stopped and stared at the strange woman. "Can I help you?"

"Well, Mrs Lockwood is it? I wouldn't mind if you could invite me in, as I have something of utmost importance to discuss with you, concerning your daughter."

"Which daughter? What has she done?" my mother's eyes narrowed.

"Katrina. She has not done anything wrong at all, but I do need to discuss with you a matter of great importance concerning her future."

"How do you know my daughter? What do you want with her? I don't just let anyone who turns up at my doorstep into my house!"

"I do not personally know your daughter, but I have been sent here to offer her a place at the school I work at, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me in so we can continue this conversation in a warmer condition." She said. She was very good at concealing emotion in her face and her voice, and she sounded very professional, but I could tell she was getting impatient. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Not yet, anyway.

"Alright then, come in. But I'm warning you, you'd better have a legitimate reason for coming here unannounced, or you will be asked to leave." My mother said coldly, she obviously did not trust this woman, and at this point neither did I.

"How gracious of you." The strange lady stepped into our house, with the air of someone who had done this many a time before. My mother led the way to the living room, and gestured for the woman to sit down in one of the armchairs across from the sofa.

"I think this would be a good time for you to tell us why you're here." Mum said. She was sat next to dad on the sofa, and I was perched on one of the armchairs, trying to unfathom this mysterious stranger.

"Well, I think it would first be prudent for me to introduce myself." She said matter-of-factly.

"I think that's a good idea!" said my dad, he had no clue what was going on at all, none of us did.

"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I have come to offer your daughter a place there." She stated.

We all sat there in silence, processing her words. My mother was the first to come to, and started laughing uncontrollably.

"Oh that was a good one! You are funny! Now tell us what you really want."

"I told you, I want to offer Katrina a place at our school. I have no doubt you have noticed that she has some somewhat unusual capabilities."

That silenced my mother, and she sat there dumbfounded.

"How did you know about that? Have you been watching us? Is that how you know her name?"

"I know her name because it appeared on the register of muggle-born children who were born with magic." She turned to me, "Have you ever made anything happen, things that you couldn't explain? Things that other children can't do?" she asked.

I found myself nodding profusely.

"That is because you are a witch. At Hogwarts, you will learn to control your magical power, and use it at will…"

My father seemed to have found his tongue; "Now wait just a minute! How can you expect me to believe all of this nonsense? I'll admit you've done your homework, but you cannot possibly think we're going to let you take our daughter away without any proof that anything you're saying is true!"

"Well I'm afraid what I'm telling you is completely true. Your daughter is most definitely a witch, and she'll need training in order to reach her full potential."

"And I suppose you're going to tell us you're a witch as well are you?"

"Of course. I could give you a demonstration of magic, if you wish."

"This I'd love to see!" said my mother triumphantly.

"Very well." Professor McGonagall replied curtly. She reached into her robes and pulled out a stick of wood, about ten inches long, and pointed it at one of the cups still on the table from the party. At once, the cup turned into a magnificent black bird.

"H-h-how d-did you d-d-d-do that?!" I asked shakily.

"I transfigured it, using a complex form of magic."

"What is that?" I inquired, pointing at the stick she was holding.

"This is my wand. Fir, dragon heartstring, nine and a half inches, stiff and unyielding. I bought mine at a shop called Ollivander's, when I was your age." And with that, she tapped the now squawking bird with her wand, and in an instant, it was a cup again.

"For arguments' sake, let's say we believe you. How would we pay for this education? Where is Hogwarts? What exactly do they teach there, do you lot have qualifications?" my mother questioned, and I could tell she was unsure. As for me, I desperately wanted to believe her, to know that my abilities weren't freakish or unnatural, and that there were lots of other kids who could do what I could. But I had the niggling thought in the back of my head which kept telling me it was too good to be true.

"Hogwarts is free to attend, but you need to buy the necessary equipment from Diagon Alley, in London. I have your letter here," she took a parchment envelope out of her pocket and handed it to me, "You can exchange muggle money for wizarding money at Gringotts, the bank in Diagon Alley, and use it to pay for your equipment. If you so desire, I could accompany you to buy your school supplies. The school teaches students from the age of eleven until they're eighteen. We teach a wide range of subjects in our school; Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology are compulsory subjects for the first five years, as well as flying lessons. At the end of their second year, students are required to add at least two optional subjects to their syllabus for the start of the third year. The five choices are Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. Very specialized subjects such as Alchemy are sometimes offered in the final two years, if there is sufficient demand."

"There are numerous jobs to do in the magical community, but it would take days to list them all. No doubt you will find out all about your options in school when you attend, Miss Lockwood." She ended.

We were all still in shock, but I was very interested in this school, it sounded like a dream come true!

"Where is Hogwarts?" I asked timidly.

"Somewhere in Scotland. No-one knows where, as it is under a charm to make it unplottable."

"Scotland?! How are we supposed to send her to Scotland every day? In case you haven't noticed, we're in Keswick, in Cumbria! How are we supposed to get her there every day?!"

"Hogwarts is a boarding school, Mr Lockwood. The term times and all the rest of the information you'll need is in that envelope, along with your train ticket to get there. The train leaves from King's Cross Station on the 1st of September."

"Please can I go, mum? I really like the sound of this school." I asked, hoping against all hope that I'd get the answer I wanted.

"I don't know, Trin, I really don't. Did you say you could help us get to this, Diagon Alley?" she asked.

"If you need my assistance, I will accompany you."

"Thank you. Then we'll accept the offer. Please can I see that letter Katrina?" mum said. I handed it to her, and she immediately started to read, her face showing complete bewilderment at some of the items on the list.

"I shall meet you here on Saturday morning, at 10 o'clock, and we'll go get your supplies," McGonagall announced, then stood up to leave.

My mother nodded, "Ok, that will be fine, and Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Why does she need to wear robes?"

"They are the school uniform, Mrs Lockwood, all pupils are expected to wear them. We will no doubt find some suitable ones for her in Madam Malkin's. Good night."

And with that, she stood up and strode towards the door. I ran after her to show her out.

"Thank you," I whispered softly to her as she left, "I thought it was too good to be true. It is real, isn't it?" I asked timidly.

"Of course it is real, my child, and I know you will do very well there. I shall see you on Saturday." She replied, her voice softer this time. She walked out into the darkness, and I watched her as she walked down the drive, and then, quite extraordinarily, she turned on her heel, and vanished with a slight pop!

This really was the most bizarre birthday ever! I thought as I shut the door. Saturday is going to be exciting!


	3. Chapter 3: Genuine

**Hi everyone! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and thank you to everyone who has read this story and are now following it. Thank you also to Iris who is the only reviewer i have so far, your feedback is greatly appreciated! Please review, it would make me happy! Any thoughts about the picture yet guys? I'm going away for a week the day after tomorrow, so i'm going to try and post the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow morning, but i'll post another one as soon as i get back, i promise!**

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Chapter 3 – Genuine

I picked the letter up from the coffee table, took out the first sheet of parchment, and read;

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizar_ds)_

Dear Katrina Evelyn Lockwood,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

I put that letter down, and took out the equipment list;

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

BOOKS

First year students will be expected to have:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Albert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

"Well, it looks pretty genuine," I commented as i finished reading. Mum nodded, still looking a bit doubtful. It was ten minutes to ten on Saturday, and we were all sitting in the living room, ready to go, in awkward silence occasionally broken by someone coughing, or sniffing, or me talking.

My mother was sat up, her back ramrod straight, on the sofa. Her long blonde curls were cascading down her back and hung around her shoulders like a golden cloud. Her bright, emerald green eyes were darting around, and I could practically hear her brain ticking over. She was wearing a green dress which matched the colour of her eyes and black leggings, as it was quite a warm day but with a light breeze. Iris was the spitting image of our mother; tall, willowy and with the same gorgeous blonde hair. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a white halter-neck top with silver flowers printed on it. Dad was lounging on the couch, pretending he wasn't nervous. He had that kind of carefree air about him, but I knew he was nervous, we all were. His greying brown hair was long, and he tied it up in a ponytail with an elastic band. He had chosen to wear his beige shorts and a white shirt, which had the desired effect of making him look comfortable, yet smart at the same time. I looked a lot more like my dad than my mum. I had the hair, but mine was more of a chocolaty brown, and thicker, and I had the brown eyes which were so dark they looked black. I also had the pale skin, neither of us ever seemed to get tanned, unlike mum and Iris who were very brown after the summer holiday. I also wasn't as thin and willowy and mum and Iris either. I was only eleven, but very self-conscious, and I knew that I definitely had a lot more fat on me than Iris did. This worried me, of course, but I didn't really have a cause to become upset about it yet. I was wearing a pink summer dress, which flowed to my knees, and had white spots on it. We just sat there, waiting.

Finally, at ten o'clock exactly, there was a knock on the door. We all went to answer it, and stepped outside to join Minerva McGonagall, who was wearing robes of a velvety green. She must have been boiling hot! She showed no signs of it, though, and simply told us that we were going to London, as this was where Diagon Alley was.

"Can't you use magic to get us there?" asked Iris tentatively.

"I could, but I'm not allowed, and you need to know how to get there for future trips when I'm not with you, as you'll need to get new equipment and robes every year." Replied the professor patiently. "Now, we'll be going by train to London, then we'll have to find the Leaky Cauldron."

"The what what now?"asked my dad.

"The Leaky Cauldron is a wizarding pub, and it's the only gateway into Diagon Alley without using magic."

Having just been given this tasty new piece of information to digest, we all stopped cross-examining her, and went to get into the car. McGonagall sat in the front passenger seat, mum drove, and dad sat in the back with Iris and I.

"Do wizards and witches drive in cars?" I asked, noticing that she looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Not many drive them, but many wizards buy them to see how they work. The Ministry of Magic has a fleet of them to use when they're dealing with muggles. There are so many ways to get around using magic, we don't need automobiles to travel, but they are a hobby for many people."

"What is a muggle?" asked Iris.

"You are a muggle, so are your parents, but your sister is not. Muggle is a term for a non-magical person."

"Oh."

"Well, well, well! You learn something new every day!" said my astonished dad.

The rest of the journey went by quickly, and we had soon arrived at the train station. We got out of the car, and the professor was attracting some strange looks from people as we walked into the station. Mum went off to buy the tickets, and the two remaining adults stayed with us awkwardly as we saw people turn and stare at the witch with us.

"Why do you wear those funny clothes?" asked Iris bluntly.

"Iris!" I admonished in surprise, Iris usually didn't say things like that, she was much more subtle and nice usually.

"It's alright, Katrina, it's a fair question, and I cannot honestly say that I know why, Iris. I wear robes because all witches and wizards wear robes, that's what we wear. If we're going to a muggle place, we would generally wear muggle clothing, to fit in, but I did not have time to change before I left from my meeting with the Headmaster, and I don't particularly find muggle clothing very comfortable. We'll be surrounded by wizards and witches soon, and you'll see that robes are really a normal fashion for most magical people."

Her statement reminded me that I would indeed be stepping into a new world shortly. I would, for the first time, not be the weird one of the family. I would belong for the first time in my life! The thought exhilarated me, and by the time we got onto the train I was practically bouncing on the seat.

"Triny, please stop doing that!" my dad implored me.

I made a face at him; "Don't call me that! My name is Katrina, not Triny!" I told him off.

He decided to heed my warning, and stopped trying to calm me down. The train finally pulled in to the station, and we got off the train in the London underground. We walked up a few flights of steps, trying to ignore the pointing and hushed whispers which followed us out into the street. When we got out into the daylight, we were thrown into the bustling streets of central London. The professor seemed to know exactly where she was going, as she quickly took a turn as we ran to keep up. She led us down a few streets, and then stopped abruptly in front of a tiny, grubby-looking pub, but my parents and sister didn't even seem to see it.

"Well, here it is. The Leaky Cauldron." The professor announced, rather unnecessarily I thought.

"What, the bookstore or the record shop?" asked my mother pointedly, she was getting suspicious again.

"Oh, yes, silly me I forgot. There is an enchantment on it so only magical people can see it, otherwise they'd get muggles pouring in and then the National Statute of Secrecy would be over!"

We all looked at her incredulously. I didn't even know where to begin with the questions I wanted to ask, but thankfully dad decided to step in with the most important one; "So how do we get in?" he asked.

"Well I think you'll be ok if you just follow Katrina and I. Just stick together, and I'm sure you'll see it when you get inside." So she strode purposefully over to the grimy door of the Leaky Cauldron, opened it, and held it open for my family to step through. They all looked positively alarmed as they were told to walk through a door which they couldn't see. Iris was trembling as she stepped in, and she wobbled on her feet a bit as she walked through the doorway. I put my arm around her and helped her into the pub, which was as shabby and crumbling as the outside was. My family looked around in surprise, and it was obvious they could see it now.

"Hello Professor! I haven't seen you for a while! I was beginning to wonder if there were any more muggle-borns you needed to bring through. You'll never guess who was in here last week!" said the old barman behind the counter.

"I've been busy, Tom, Hogwarts business, you understand. This will be the last family this year, I believe. Who?" she replied, intrigue showing through her mask of professionalism.

"Harry Potter, believe it or not! Being brought through by Hagrid, off to buy his school supplies, he was! Shabby little thing if ever I saw one! Skinny little boy, very shy, didn't have a clue how famous he'd be at all!" called out 'Tom' gleefully. Apparently 'Harry Potter' was someone who was well known, as everyone stopped talking as soon as his name was mentioned.

"Oh, really? Well that is very…interesting." Replied McGonagall, rather tight-lipped, as though this information irritated her. "Anyway, we must be going through now, good day."

She turned and marched agitatedly to the back of the dingy little pub, and out the door into a small brick-walled courtyard. We all rushed after her. She started counting the bricks from the side of the wall facing us.

"Three up, two across," she announced, then turned to me, "You would do well to remember that for future trips." She tapped the brick three times, and suddenly the whole wall started wiggling, starting from the tapped brick, and a hole appeared in the brick, and soon the whole wall had disappeared, leaving a large archway.

We stepped through it, and were dumbfounded by the sight of a cobbled street in front of us….


	4. Chapter 4: Unchartered Territory

**Hey guys I am so so so so so so so sorry for not updating in months it's unacceptable but I've just been busy and procrastinating. I'm quite pleased with this chapter and I'm really looking forward to the next one. Please please please read and review, it really makes my day when I get a review and I really do appreciate the feedback as I'd like to know if I'm doing well and what things I could be doing differently. Also, I have a proper picture for this story now! Yay! Thanks love you all! x**

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Chapter 4 – Unchartered Territory

It's mind-boggling how it is possible to take something as normal as, say, a street of shops, and make them completely alien.

We just stood there, ogling in amazement. The cobbled street looked endless, and it was crammed with shops selling all sorts of bizarre things. McGonagall strode with purpose through the hundreds of people dressed in cloaks, milling around and looking into the many stores which succeeded in keeping my head swivelling from side to side, trying to see everything at once.

There was Potage's Cauldron shop, which had large stack of cauldrons outside it and a humongous sign hanging over them which read: _Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible  
_There was a busy apothecary's, something called 'Eeylops Owl Emporium', which was a dark shop with a sign saying 'Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy'. A large number of boys around my age, some a few years older, were congregating outside a brightly coloured shop with what looked like old-fashioned brooms in the window, and as we passed I heard one of them say "Look! It's the new Nimbus 2000! It's the fastest model yet!" Though what a 'Nimbus 2000 was and what model it was I had no idea. I was about to ask the professor about it when I got distracted by the sign on a shop called 'Flourish and Blotts', which had a marvellous selection of books on display which looked incredibly interesting. On closer inspection, I realised with a shock that the pictures on the front covers of the books were moving, it was like there were little television screens in each book cover! '_They must be expensive!' _I thought.

We finally stopped in front of an enormous white building, and the professor announced our destination as "Gringotts, the wizarding bank of England."

We walked in, trying to keep up with her vicious stride, and I struggled to take in what was surrounding me. The Gringotts foyer was phenomenal, that was the only word to describe it. Seated behind the wooden desks which lined the walls of this massive hall were strange short creatures that had mottled skin, pointy ears and created an air of cold pride.

Our group approached the main desk, and McGonagall appeared to steel herself before clearing her throat loudly.

"We would like to start a new account, and exchange some muggle money for wizarding currency please."

The goblin scrutinised us down his rather long nose, then, deeming us as genuine, signalled to another goblin. This one led us through a door and into a little office, and we sat down in the chairs in front of the desk.

"My name is Voznok, and I will be handling all of your accounting. What name is the account going to be under?"

"Katrina Evelyn Lockwood." said McGonagall.

"And is it my understanding that you would also like to exchange muggle currency for magical?"

"It is," was the reply.

"Very well. Mr Lockwood, sir, I take it you are unfamiliar with wizarding currency?" asked the goblin.

"That would be correct." my dad replied through gritted teeth. He doesn't like it when people talk down to him, and he definitely didn't like that goblin.  
Voznok talked for a while about the amount of money they should put in my account and the interest rates, then went on to explain the currency exchange rate; "there are 17 Sickles in a Galleon, and 29 Knuts in a Sickle, meaning there are 493 Knuts to a Galleon. 1 Galleon is equal to £4.93, 1 Sickle is equal to £0.29 and 1 Knut is equal to £0.01. It's all very easy once you get used to it. Are there any more questions? Good. I am assuming you have a debit card with you?"

"Yes."

"Please insert it into this card reader and the amount we decided on shall be transferred into a vault here," he said, indicating an electronic card reader which I could've sworn was not on the table a few seconds ago. _It probably wasn't_, I reminded myself. It looked so out of place in the marble and polished wood room which looked ancient and grand. Dad looked at the piece of technology suspiciously, and I really couldn't blame him, this could all be one big con. I was desperate to believe it wasn't and it was just too elaborate to be a money scam.  
My dad seemed to have the same thought process, as he put the card into the reader and entered his pin-number.

"Right then, follow me, I shall take you to your vault," announced Voznok.

After a too long ride on a rickety cart through underground tunnels, we reached my vault. The goblin opened the heavy metal door by running his fingertip down the crease between the door and the wall. We entered a cavern-like room with a pile of gold, silver and bronze coins which stood to about half my height placed on a table in the centre of the room. Mum produced a small drawstring purse from her handbag and handed it to me, which I then scooped a few handfuls of coins into. "Umm….. Professor?" I asked timidly, "Is this enough to buy my school stuff and to take to Hogwarts?"

She peered into the bag and gave me a curt nod. I could tell the goblins made her uneasy; they had a certain air of distrust and arrogance about them which made me feel as if they did not want us there.

We then departed the vault and took the rickety cart ride back up to civilisation. Once we were outside of Gringotts, out in the fresh air and beaming sunshine of August in Diagon Alley, we all deeply exhaled in relief, realising how tense we had been in there. I now had a bag of money, and I was eager to explore all of the intriguing shops around here.

"Right then," came the brisk, business-like voice of Professor McGonagall, "getting a wand could take the longest so we shall do everything else first I think. Let's start with Flourish and Blotts, we can buy your books there."

.

.

.

2 hours later….

"Right, may I see your list again please Miss Lockwood? Thank you. Yes it looks like we have everything apart from a pet and a wand. What sort of pet would you like, Katrina? I'd personally recommend getting an owl, they are very practical; they live in the owlery in school when you are in lessons and you can use them to send letters. They are also very loyal and friendly companions."

"An owl sounds great!" I said.

"Eeylops Owl Emporium it is then, it's this way."

After two hours I had bags of shopping galore. Robes from Madam Malkin's (which I actually really like, we have to wear a shirt, school tie and skirt or trousers underneath, robes are sort of like cloaks but also like dresses, I don't really know how to explain it.), all of my assigned reading material and some books like 'The Tales of Beadle the Bard' which is apparently a collection of wizarding childrens stories, 'Quidditch Through The Ages' (Quidditch is apparently a sport. I thought I'd read up on it) and 'Hogwarts: A History' (I really couldn't go to a new school without knowing all about its history now could I?). I also had a pewter cauldron and the basic beginner's kit of potions ingredients; some of which sounded, looked and smelled rather disgusting (who would even think of using RAT SPLEENS in a potion?!)

We fell in line after the professor and followed her to the poorly-lit shop which had attracted my attention earlier. Upon entering, we were subjected to an odour which wasn't entirely unpleasant but not a very fresh smell. It was as if we had just stepped into a barn, the smell of straw and the hooting of birds filled the thick, cloying air. Cages upon cages of different colours and species of owls lined all four walls and more were on shelves in the middle of the room. There was a desk and chair towards the back of the room, where one of those old-fashioned bells which you see in old movies shone like a dim but piercing light cutting through the gloom. There wasn't a human being in sight and the room felt eerily cold, the squawking of the hundreds of owls of all colours and sizes just added to the chill that had little to do with the temperature. Prof. McGonagall strode up to the desk and tapped the bell with her wand. It emitted a surprisingly loud, clear note which seemed to cut through the surrounding ruckus. At once a short, balding old man hobbled through the doorway at the back of the room which was the only space not covered with birdcages.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"This young lady would like to purchase an owl, Hogwarts student, first year," was the explanation provided.

"Well take a look around. I'm sure you'll find an owl to suit your liking."

I timidly stepped towards the nearest wall. This seemed to house the smaller variety of birds, there were some which were absolutely miniscule! I could have fit a couple of them in my palm!

After a few minutes of browsing, I came across a magnificent, majestic bird whose colouring was decidedly autumnal, and very beautiful. Her liquid amber eyes were large, set into a round, cute face, and they stared straight into mine, right into my soul. I put my finger through the mesh cage and stroked the back of her head. She closed her eyes and nudged her head into my hand.

"I think we'll be taking this one."

We bought my new owl and the necessary supplies for keeping her and departed the shop.

"She's so beautiful!" Iris gushed, the first thing she'd said since we'd entered the store!

"She is." Mum agreed, "what are you going to name her, Katrina?"

"Autumn" I said, "she looks like an Autumn don't you think?"

…...

"Ollivander's wand shop," announced the professor. We were stood in front of a faded black shop with the name of the establishment in peeling gold lettering on the front, and as we entered a bell chimed faintly to alert this 'Ollivander' (wherever he may be, as the shop looked pretty deserted) of the arrival of prospective customers. We filed into the small waiting area and took in the dingy sight. It had become apparent rather early on in this process that many wizarding shops preferred to keep their lighting to a minimum, so by now we weren't as creeped out. I made my way towards the counter, but leapt back when a ladder on wheels slid out of an aisle between shelves with an eerily ghostly-looking man on it. He was very pale with white hair and cold, pale blue eyes which sent chills down my spine. This man was very old, there was no doubt about it, and his eyes seemed to have seen a thousand years and stared deep into my soul.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" he asked in a high, clear voice which matched his eyes perfectly. He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he strode over to the shelves stacked to the ceiling with boxes and started pulling various rectangular boxes out at random. Back he came with an armful of assorted boxes, and dumped them onto the counter. He chose the box on top, opened it and took out a polished stick of wood. It was then presented to me and I took it, unsure of what to do. I was suddenly aware that I looked very stupid; I had no idea what was supposed to happen!  
"Give it a wave, girl, what are you waiting for?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, as if this was obviously the done thing. I gave the wand a flourish, and nothing happened. Feeling rather foolish, I handed it back to him. This didn't surprise him, however. He seemed to have anticipated this, and had another one ready to hand to me. "Try this one. 10 ¾ inches, Redwood, Phoenix feather, quite bendy." I took it and at once felt a warmth spread across my hand, like it was radiating from the wand, and gold sparks erupted out of the tip.

"That's the one," said McGonagall cheerfully, "the wand has chosen you. We'll take this one please."

"That will be six galleons please."

We paid and took the wand. I skipped out of the shop, my family tagging along behind and McGonagall strode briskly beside me, her expression seemed to soften a little when I thanked her for her help.

…

The train ride home simply flew by, and before we knew it we were sitting in our living room sorting out all of my purchases ready for school. I led the professor out and thanked her again.

"I'll see you at school, Miss Lockwood. I suggest you read 'Hogwarts: A History' before term begins. I think you will find it beneficial to your understanding of our world and the school ways. Goodnight."

And with that, she departed quickly. She walked regally down the road, and I watched her go. Suddenly, she just vanished, disappeared into thin air! My eyes widened in surprise and amazement, oh how new and exciting this was! I couldn't wait to ask her how she did that, but I'd have to wait until September. I couldn't wait! But for now, I had my family to get back inside to.

* * *

**We meet again... I hope you enjoyed it and I promise to update a lot more frequently than I have been. Please review and put me on alert/follow me (I don't know the exact terminology but you know what I mean) so you know when I update. Toodle pip! **


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